HOT SALSA : Stoking the Fire

A couple of months ago, one of the food-fear stories that periodically stampede the public made the news rounds. This time a study was said to have shown chile peppers to be associated with stomach cancer. Some people started looking uneasy at lunch and waving away the hot sauce.

The story eventually died down. People went back to thinking of chiles as an excellent source of vitamins--raw peppers, even mild ones, are among the most concentrated sources of Vitamin C in nature, and ripe red peppers are among the best for Vitamin A. And it should be noted that the stomach cancer rate has declined in this country over the last 20 years, while chile-eating has quadrupled.

The cancer scare was evidently just a blip in the rising trend of chile consumption. Even five years ago, hardly anybody had ever heard of the Scoville test. (For those who still don’t know, it measures the strength of a pepper by dilutability; a ranking of 5,000 Scoville units means you could dilute a sample of the chile in question with 5,000 times as much water and still taste hotness.) Today, hot sauce makers casually boast about their Scoville ratings, confident that whether or not people know exactly what they mean (and the Scoville test is notoriously subjective), Scoville units in the thousands are what chile-heads want to hear about.

At the moment, the habanero pepper is the hottest chile available, either fresh or bottled. The chile writer Jean Andrews reports, however, that there are chiles in South America that make the habanero look like a bell pepper, so it’s only a matter of time before we see aji rocoto in our supermarkets. Eventually we’ll find, or gene-splice, absolutely the hottest pepper in the world, and what will the chile-heads do then?

They’ll still have new territories to explore. After all, in its natural state, the hot stuff in chiles--a group of chemicals called capsaicinoids--is diluted with all sorts of inessential ingredients such as, oh, vitamins and flavoring elements. Those who really want to set their mouths on fire, throw their metabolisms into a whirl and pop sweat from their brows like Donald Duck can start messing with the pure item: industrial capsaicin extract.

The rest of us will probably settle for a medium burn, an appetizing aroma and nutrients, stuff like that.

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The combination of chipotle peppers and balasmic vinegar in this recipe is nothing short of inspired--the smoky peppers complement the vinegar, its slight sweetness balances the peppers. This marinade would make a great sauce for any kind of barbecue. The recipe comes from Bruce J. Auden of Restaurant Biga in San Antonio, Texas, who recommends serving it with a salad of watercress, julienned jicama and orange segments dressed with hot pepper oil. To garnish the chops decoratively with the mint cream, he uses a plastic ketchup-type bottle. From “Red Hot Peppers” by Jean Andrews (MacMillan: 1993).

CHIPOTLE-MARINATED LAMB CHOPS 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles en adobo 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 6 cloves garlic 6 sprigs fresh oregano 2 bunches cilantro 16 lamb chops cut from rack 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 carrots, cut into 2-inch julienne 4 leeks, well rinsed and cut into 2-inch julienne 2 cups chicken stock 12 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped Mint Cream

Combine chipotles, 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano and 1 bunch cilantro in blender or food processor. Puree and pour into mixing bowl. Holding by bone, dip each lamb chop into puree. Keep bone dry. Cover chops and marinate overnight in refrigerator, or 3 hours at room temperature. Reserve chipotle puree.

Heat olive oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place chops in hot pan and cook 4 minutes per side. Transfer skillet with chops to 350-degree oven 5 minutes. May have to be done in batches. Remove skillet from oven. Transfer chops to serving dish and keep warm.

Place skillet on medium heat and pour in remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Reduce while scraping lamb juices and marinade from bottom of pan. For hotter sauce, add reserved chipotle puree to taste. Add carrots and leeks, keeping to 1 side of skillet. Chop remaining bunch cilantro, reserving few sprigs for garnish. Add to skillet with chicken stock and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook until sauce starts to thicken.

Remove carrots and leeks to serving plate. Pour sauce into blender or food processor and process until smooth with some chunks. Place lamb chops on carrots and leeks and pour sauce over. Garnish with Mint Cream and reserved cilantro sprigs. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Canned chipotle chiles are available in most supermarkets and Latino grocery stores.

Each serving, without Mint Cream, contains about: 666 calories; 540 mg sodium; 90 mg cholesterol; 48 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 24 grams protein; 3.41 grams fiber.

Mint Cream 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Combine sour cream, mint leaves and vinegar in blender or food processor and puree. Force through sieve to remove excess leaves. Makes about 1 cup sauce.

Each tablespoon contains about: 31 calories; 8 mg sodium; 6 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams protein; 0.00 grams fiber.

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Despite the serrano peppers, these chewy fritters have just a little bite. For more, use the sauce. From “Hot & Spicy & Meatless” by Dave DeWitt, Mary Jane Wilan and Melissa T. Stock (Prima: 1994).

CORN FRITTERS WITH SERRANO CHUTNEY 2 cups sifted flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup low-fat milk 2 egg yolks or equivalent egg substitute, lightly beaten 2 egg whites, beaten until stiff 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, partly cooked and cooled 2 tablespoons chopped serrano chiles 1/4 cup finely chopped onion Oil Avocado-Serrano Chutney

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and black pepper in bowl. Gradually add milk and yolks, stirring until smooth. Add whites, corn, chiles and onion. Gently fold mixture until well blended.

Place 1/2 inch oil in 10- or 12-inch heavy skillet and heat until drop of water bounces and sizzles. Carefully drop heaping tablespoons of batter into hot oil. Fry until golden on 1 side, then turn with spatula and fry other side. Drain fritters on paper towels. Then keep warm. When all are done, serve immediately on heated platter with Avocado-Serrano Chutney. Makes 25 to 30 fritters.

Each of 25 fritters contains about: 67 calories; 46 mg sodium; 23 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.19 grams fiber.

Avocado-Serrano Chutney 3 serrano chiles, seeded, stemmed and minced 2 avocados, peeled, seeded and diced 4 tomatillos, husked and diced 4 green onions, white part only, chopped 1 large or 2 small red tomatoes, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1/4 cup lime juice

Gently mix chiles, avocados, tomatillos, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice in ceramic bowl. Allow to stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Makes 3 cups.

Each tablespoon contains about: 16 calories; 1 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams protein; 0.22 grams fiber.

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From “Bold American Food” by Bobby Flay (not a hot pepper book per se, but when you own a Manhattan restaurant named Mesa Grill, chiles are going to be part of your boldness). “Shrimp go well with bold flavors,” writes Flay. “Grill them very quickly to preserve their splendid texture.”

GRILLED SHRIMP WITH RED CHILE PESTO 20 large shrimp, shelled and deveined, about 1 1/4 pounds 5 tablespoons olive oil Salt, pepper Red Chile Pesto

Rub shrimp with oil and salt and pepper to taste. Grill over wood or charcoal, or broil in oven, 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Serve with Red Chile Pesto. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving, without Red Chile Pesto, contains about: 298 calories; 281 mg sodium; 213 mg cholesterol; 19 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 28 grams protein; 0.00 grams fiber.

Red Chile Pesto 6 dried ancho chiles 8 cups boiling water 3 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 cup olive oil Salt, pepper

Place anchos in bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes to overnight. Drain well.

Remove seeds and stems from chiles. Puree flesh in food processor with garlic and cilantro. Add pumpkin seeds and lime juice. Process until well mixed. Continue processing and slowly add olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 1 cup.

Each tablespoon contains about: 106 calories; 21 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.46 grams fiber.

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From “Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys & Chowchows” by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby (Morrow, 1993). “This salsa will keep, covered and refrigerated, about five or six days,” the authors write, “mainly because no mold or bacteria would dare to come near the stuff.”

ROASTED HABANERO SALSA FROM HELL 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 6 plum tomatoes, halved Salt Cracked black pepper 10 fresh or dried habanero chiles, stemmed 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic in small bowl. Rub mixture onto tomato halves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast at 500 degrees until blackened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then dice.

Grill habaneros over medium-hot fire until slightly browned. Remove from fire. Mince, wearing rubber gloves.

Combine roasted tomatoes and chiles, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, lime juice and cilantro in medium-sized bowl. Mix well. May be kept covered and refrigerated up to 6 days. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Each tablespoon contains about: 31 calories; 14 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams protein; 0.20 grams fiber.

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The first recipe in “The Salsa Cookbook” by Mark Miller: tangy and, on a heat scale of 1 to 10, about a 5.

TOMATILLO SALSA VERDE 1 pound tomatillos, rinsed and roughly chopped 3 serrano chiles, with seeds to taste 3/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt

Place tomatillos, serranos, cilantro, lime juice, sugar and salt in food processor and puree. Makes about 2 cups.

Each tablespoon contains about: 7 calories; 74 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams protein; 0.08 grams fiber.

* THE BURN CONTINUES: Hot book reviews and hot tips on chile sauce sources. H14